It is the latest in a series of incidents to have dogged The Angel Hotel in Lavenham’s Market Place since Mr White’s company took it over three years ago.

The theft occurred between 11pm on Sunday and 7am on Monday.

Police have said offenders entered the premises and stole a wallet containing cards, an amount of cash, clothing and a metal safe.

Last Summer the Grade II listed hotel had to be repainted a more “suitable” shade of Suffolk pink after being at the centre of a row about the colour of its exterior.

Mr White originally changed it from cream to pale pink.

But the makeover attracted criticism from villagers who described the chef’s chosen shade of pink as “sugary” and “like a blancmange”.

Babergh District Council planning officers agreed that the colour was unsuitable and told Mr Pierre White it was “not acceptable”.

Last August the hotel’s deputy manager Alex Burgess said suggestions people in the village were “outraged” by the original pink paintwork were exaggerated.

Mr Burgess said Mr Pierre White had decided to change the new pink colour because he “didn’t like the first shade” rather than because of external pressure.

During his early days as proprietor of the establishment, the renowned chef got off to a shaky start with some locals when he refused to serve lager or Guinness in case it encouraged the wrong sort of people.

The Angel Hotel was first licensed in 1420 and is believed to be Lavenham’s oldest inn.

It is now an integral part of Mr White’s Wheeler’s of St. James’s country inns.